Although Burtons Grill opened at the Pheasant Lane Mall in August, I didn’t have (or make) the opportunity to visit it until mid-December. With lots of presents to be bought at that time of year, I knew I would be spending a decent amount of time at the mall. With a little planning, I could make the trip into a shopping and dining experience. As luck and a little bit of scheduling would have it, I was able to dine at Burtons twice within a two-week period.

My first trip to Burtons Grill was on a Friday night. I went to the mall with two of my teenagers to do a little Christmas shopping. About halfway through our shopping, I stopped by the restaurant to put our name in for a table. As I expected, at 8:00 there was a 45 minute wait, which would coincide perfectly with the remainder of our shopping list.

When we returned to the restaurant about 40 minutes later, we were seated within minutes of our arrival. We were provided with menus and water, and our waitress appeared shortly thereafter. She took our drink orders and asked if there were any dietary restrictions for the chef. I let her know that my 13 year old was a vegetarian, and our waitress replied that she would return with a vegetarian menu.

After we had placed our orders, our waitress asked if we would like bread service. It seemed worthy of trying, at this new-to-us restaurant. That was the correct choice! The rolls were warm and tender and served with a delicious garlic butter. Even though I usually only eat half a roll, with such great bread and butter, I ate the whole roll.

Between the two different menus, we were able to find dishes that pleased all of us. My daughter ordered a vegetarian pasta dish whose name escapes me. However, her review of the dish wouldn’t be complete, as she asked to have some of the vegetables removed from the dish. What she did eat was angel hair pasta with shallots, olives, and tomatoes. Her own version of this vegetarian pasta was pleasing to her.

My son ordered the Tuna Burger. Described as “ground tuna blended with red onions, seasoned and seared medium rare, served on a griddled bun with sliced cucumber, pickled red onions, wasabi mayonnaise and ponzu sauce”, he found the burger to be delicious. The tuna was tender, as it should be, and the inclusion of onions and cucumber added nice crunch and flavor. He opted for french fries as his side and also enjoyed these immensely.

For my dinner, I chose my favorite dish, Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken. The chicken was tender and flavorful; the dressing had a wonderful tang; the topping of parmesan was the perfect ratio of cheese to lettuce. The only disappointment in the salad was the lettuce, which tended to be fairly pale, although it was still crunchy. However, being December in New Hampshire, I know that getting good lettuce is difficult.

My first visit to Burtons Grill was an enjoyable evening of dining with two of my children. Having enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere, I strategically planned a morning of shopping with my husband to end at the mall near lunchtime. It seemed that Burtons would be a place the two of us would enjoy also. Thus, a week or two later, my husband and I arrived at Burtons at 12:30 for a lunch date.

At this adults only meal, we both decided to indulge and start with a beverage. I opted for the Blueberry Squeeze, which was a tasty martini that delivered blueberry flavor without being syrupy or overly sweet, which is a win in my book. My husband ordered a glass of Sycamore Cabernet, which he also enjoyed.

Being quite close to Christmas, and feeling indulgent, we started our meal with an appetizer, Buffalo Chicken Ragoons. Filled with grilled chicken, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce, these wonton-wrapped appetizers were a scrumptious start to the meal. The ragoons were loaded with flavor and weren’t greasy, even though it was a fried dish.

Still staying with the theme of indulgence, we accepted the offer of bread service. I had told my husband how great their rolls and butter were after my first trip, so I figured he needed to experience them also. He concurred that this bread service was one of the better we have had in our dining experiences.

For the main course, my husband chose the Daily Risotto Special. This day’s risotto included chicken and asparagus. The risotto was flavorful, but the presentation was different. When ordering a risotto, both he and I assume that the ingredients will be cut to bite-size and placed within the dish. For this risotto, the ingredients were left in bigger pieces and served atop the risotto. All of the ingredients were well cooked and flavorful, though the risotto was a little undercooked, not quite reaching al dente.

For my main dish, I ordered the Grilled Stuffed Zucchini. Although it actually is an appetizer item, it was the perfect choice for me after consuming a ragoon and bread. The zucchini was my favorite dish of the day. The zucchini was tender but firm and filled with a delicious herb and cheese combination. Served in a bed of tomato sauce, it delivered a lot of flavor without being heavy.

Again, we had excellent service and enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. Although we don’t often think of dining at restaurants near the mall, I am sure we will keep Burtons Grill on our list of restaurant options.